


«Onii-chan»

by TeaWitchJo



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Hiyori getting a bout of oniichans, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, probablu ooc, soft, softie Hiyori, tender softies, writing these two is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 11:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13951041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaWitchJo/pseuds/TeaWitchJo
Summary: Ibara has a bad moment. Hiyori gets tender and brotherly. Soft and pure.





	«Onii-chan»

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mothsin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothsin/gifts).



> I'm soft, I'm tender, I couldn't miss such a nice unintentional prompt. Smut is one thing, we need some softies once in a while as well.  
> Even if it's short.

The sun was setting and Nagisa had already left after practice. Ibara stayed behind to take care of some club documents, when he recieved a phonecall.

"Yes. Yes, thank you for your understanding. Excuse me." Ibara hung up and just stood there, head low, shoulders shaking ever so slightly. A sponsor just called him (him, not Eden's manager, for some unknown reason) to reprimend Eden for unsatisfactory performance, saying that if they keep messing up like that he'll cancel the contract. What he seemed to overlook though was how badly the stage had been prepared, how an unexperienced sound technician butchered his job, how the stage was outdoors in a cold February air and backstage had no heating at all, which got them all sick. But in the idol business it didn't matter. Strict hierarchy and top-bottom relations were holy and fundamental. Sponsors were on the very top, and idols were way below them. All they could do when unreasonably scolded was bow their heads, apologize and hope they don't lose their connections. It pissed Ibara off and he hated this part of the industry, even though he always put a cheerful, capable mask on and pretended not to care.

He cared. He was spreading himself thin between school, idol activities, writing live scripts for Nagisa, club activities, and all the other things he had to keep up with. On top of that everyone seemed to be past the cold after that damned live, but he was still struggling, coughing and sneezing and blowing his nose every five seconds. And that phonecall... that was just too much. He felt a big lump in his chest form, his throat squeeze tight and his eyes get wet.

"Are you... okay?" he heard somebody call and jumped, tense, his instincts kicking in, ready to defend himself if needed. After a moment he relaxed, recognizing the voice.

"Aah, Hiyori denka!" Ibara called in his usual fashion, looking briefly above his shoulder and pretending he's busy with some documents on the table in front of him. "I am quite all right, you should not concern your esteemed self with the likes of me. I am but a venomous snake, am I not? More than your concern I would deserve your boot crushing my throat~ Ah, but what brings you here, denka, at such a late hour?"

"I left my bag here yesterday." Hiyori looked carefully at Ibara's back, pretty sure the younger boy was lying. Every time Ibara spoke of himself in such a fashion - even more depreciating than usual - Hiyori was sure something was wrong. He might not have been the master of gathering information, analyzing his opponents' every move, but they knew each other long enough for him to learn that much.

"Well then, we must look for it! Let me help you, I think I've seen it somewhe-", he didn't even get to finish the sentence, jumping again when Hiyori's hand grabbed his wrist, pulling slightly.

"Ibara, what's wrong?" he asked quietly, turning the other boy gently to face him. He tried to wipe his eyes and pretend he's fine, but somehow the tears got the better of him and started streaming down his face. Hiyori pulled him in and Ibara was glad he could hide his face when he finally let out an ugly sob, his fists closing on the other boy's shirt.

They stayed like that for a while, Ibara cluthing at Hiyori, who embraced him gently and started petting his head. He had no idea where this bout of tenderness came from, but he was the older one here. He should be taking care of his junior, even though they attended different schools. They were part of the same unit and while Ibara might have been a snake and bad influence on Nagisa, he also helped him learn about the world outside what he knew until now and made their unit rise to the heights of popularity. Maybe he wasn't that bad after all.

Hiyori waited until Ibara stopped sobbing and mumbling nonsense and half-words before he sat him down on a couch and passed him some tissues. He didn't want to rush the younger boy into confessions, and when Ibara finally calmed down, he asked what happened again.

They sat there for a while, Ibara talking and Hiyori nodding, sometimes giving his hand an encouraging squeeze, listening to his junior spill his sorrows.

"Ibara, first of all, you're doing great, but there is a limit to what one can do." Hiyori's voice was unusually serious but gentle. "Take a few days off, cure your cold. If you keep attending school like that it might turn into something more serious and you could infect everybody around you, especially Nagisa, you two spend a lot of time together. Don't worry about that dickhead of a sponsor, if he breaks the contract, we'll make him have a go with my family lawyers. They can make his life hell on earth, believe me."

Ibara nodded slightly, staring at his hands, clutching a wet tissue. "May I... could you...", he started quietly, for the first time in a long while struggling to find words. "It's absolutely audacious, what I am about to ask, but could you be so kind and... hold me again?" His voice came out really small, and he seemed to be curling into himself when the words were leaving his mouth.

Hiyori smiled gently and pulled him close, resting his chin on Ibara's head and softly brushing the red hair with his fingers. He heard where Ibara spent his childhood and he wouldn't be surprised if he could count moments like that on the fingers of a single hand. "Everything will be okay. I promise, everything will work out. You need to rest though. How about onii-chan gets you some dinner and ice cream... ah, no, you shouldn't eat ice cream with a cold. Just dinner that is."

Ibara couldn't recognise the feeling in his chest when he heard Hiyori say "onii-chan" so casually, and he felt it choke him a bit, as if coming out in more sobs, so he just masked these with laughter. Not well enough, apparently, because the older boy hugged him a little tighter.

"That would be too kind, denka." He uttered finally, pulling back reluctantly and wiping his face. He felt his head pulse with a dull pain, a combination of crying and cold, and he knew his eyes were red and puffy.

"Stop the polite talk and accept my kindness before I change my mind." Hiyori puffed, digging through his pockets and pulling out a small bottle of eyedrops. "Here", he held it out to Ibara, "they do miracles. Use these, I'll get my bag and we'll get you some food. I bet you're one of those busy ones who forget to eat for the whole day."

"Alright, alright, «onii-chan»", the younger boy teased, getting off the couch and walking off to the closest bathroom. At first he was angry at himself for showing emotions like that, but maybe... maybe he could get used to that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As always, find me on twitter @TeaWitchJoan
> 
> (I'm laughing at how my first fic was soft. Second one was shameless smut. This one is soft af. Next one coming is smut as well lmao)


End file.
